A muzzle is a device that is typically placed over the snout of an animal to keep it from opening its mouth. They are conventionally made with a strong buckle or other fastening device to ensure that they do not come off accidentally, and are not adjustable. Muzzles are typically made of a durable material that includes air holes to allow the animal to breathe, or formed from a set of straps that provides better air circulation and allow the animal to drink. Leather, wire, plastic, mesh, nylon webbing and woven material are common materials for muzzles. The shape and construction of conventional muzzles might differ depending on whether the intent is to prevent an animal from biting or from eating, for example. A conventional muzzle can be seen at U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,659.
Disadvantageously, conventional muzzles do not have an adjustable muzzle body that can be placed on the snout of the animal in an open position, which provides for easier placement on the animal, and then tightened to restrict the mouth from opening. Also, because conventional muzzles have only one position on the animal's snout after placement, they do not allow for either passage of an emergency airway by opening the muzzle diameter, or increased security by closing the muzzle diameter, or airway retention by clamping the animal's teeth around the airway device. What is desired is a muzzle that includes a muzzle body can be adjusted so as to permit (i) the insertion and removal of a medical device, such as an emergency airway device in an animal, as well as (ii) easier placement of the muzzle in an open position, and (iii) tightening or loosening of the muzzle while still in place on the animal's head.